‘I feel like I’m a better player now than when I left 14 years ago’ – Pádraig Amond upbeat on Waterford’s chances

Waterford went into the mid-season break in the top four of the table, level on points with champions Shamrock Rovers and 36-year-old Amond, in his first season back in the league after 14 years away, has played a huge part in that.

His goals have earned him the prize of June’s player of the month from the SSE Airtricity Soccer Writers Ireland.

“.I was confident I could hit the ground running. I was coming in from mid-season. I'd been away a long time and I feel like I'm a better player now than when I left 14 years ago even though I'm a lot older now,” he said.

“I feel like my all round game is so much better than what it was and fitness levels stayed where it is as well. There's been no issues from that side of it,” former Shamrock Rovers and Sligo Rovers player Amond said today after picking up his award.

“I put pressure on myself to come back and do well. I wanted to do that. I wanted to hit the ground running.

“Saying I expected it, I don't want to sound arrogant saying that but I knew of bits that I had seen of the league last year as well, that I could get opportunities and get chances and if I did I could take them.”

Club licence issues denied Waterford a return to European football in 2019 but current form suggests the Blues could qualify, a first taste of European action since 1986 but Amond says the club need a strong focus in the second half of the season.

“We're going to push on, try and push on, but it's going to be difficult because of the finances of other clubs. They will strengthen,” he said.

“We'll keep working hard everyday in training and keep doing what the manager's doing. What he's doing with us at the minute is unbelievable, he's doing a brilliant job.

“Every other team in the league, especially the top ones, are going to strengthen in the summer window. Hopefully, I'd imagine, the manager will be looking to try and strengthen as well.

“After 21 games, if you offered any Waterford fan or player where we would be at this stage, we'd have snapped your hand off.

“It's important we don't rest on that and think we've got enough points on the board now, let's go through the motions. It's not going to happen.

“Without anyone really speaking about it, we all know ourselves it's been such a good first 21 games of the season. It'd be a shame if we came back after the break and didn't capitalise on what we've done so far.

“We're in a good, good position and the lads who were there last year have stepped up this year. We've got some excellent young players at the club. Some players are going to go on and have fantastic careers.”

Amond says his three-goal delivery against Drogheda United was a personal highlight.

“The hat-trick against Drogheda was a big night for me. My son was probably the happiest,” he said.

“He was there that night and he got to bring a football home with so he was delighted. And a trophy, so I've got a trophy for him.”